


something to be thankful for

by magicandlight



Series: The States [52]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Thanksgiving, probably sucks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-22
Updated: 2018-11-22
Packaged: 2019-08-27 14:07:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16703893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magicandlight/pseuds/magicandlight
Summary: snapshots of the chaos that goes into making of the united states' thanksgiving





	something to be thankful for

It is two days before Halloween when they have the meeting, and Sam stands up to present and doesn't even bother to pretend she's going to actually talk about her economy.

" _Nobody_  is to bring up politics this year at Thanksgiving,  _right_?" Sam looks vaguely like a very mean pixie when she's angry, and it should not be as terrifying as it is. 

There are muttered affirmations all down the table. 

"And  _no one_  is going to spike the apple cider?"

There's a collective wince. 

To be fair, none of them had known Lani liked apple cider, or that she would try to drink out of that one particular container.

००००००००००००

Flora is leaning against Scarlett's counter, and really, this is tradition by now. 

Scarlett makes peach cobbler every year because she can make it in her sleep, and anything else makes her worry about messing it up. 

So here they are at two in the morning, with Scarlett subtly freaking out about a souffle when they have to drive to Virginia in the afternoon. 

"Sweetheart, taste this and tell me what you think."

Flora melts a little at  _sweetheart_ , and takes the plate from her. 

Flora doesn't even know what a souffle is. It tastes like sweet potatoes in a good way, so she's gonna assume that's the kind of souffle it's supposed to be. "It's good. Can we go to sleep now?"

"Maybe just one more run through?"

Flora shakes her head and gives Scarlett a fond smile. "Just one more, then bed."

००००००००००००

Evangeline has one of the most flexible schedules out of all of the states, so she takes it upon her self to reorganize the kitchen and pantry to the height of efficiency the week before Thanksgiving. 

She scrubs down counter tops and updates the shopping list whiteboard. She reorganizes the pantry, and when she finds that someone has labeled flour as a spice she facetimes Nate so that she isn't the only one crying about it. 

She restocks the pantry and reorganizes the cabinets because someone (Jules) has put the saucepan in with the bowls.

"It looks like a pinterest board," Austin tells her as sits on the countertop and she fights the urge to tell him to  _get off, where you raised in a barn_? because she knows he'll tease her about it for the next decade if she does.

००००००००००००

They still had pumpkins left over from Halloween, ones that hadn't been quite ready then. They were a few days away from Thanksgiving, and someone had to carve up the pumpkins so they could make pies. 

Cal grimaces as she dumps pumpkin into a bowl. "I hate how the insides feel."

Riley makes a face and nods. 

Brooke flicks a pumpkin seed at Will, who levels an unimpressed look at her. 

They work in silence for a few minutes before it's interrupted by Brooke. "William, if you put those pumpkin guts in my hair, I won't speak to you until New Years."

००००००००००००

It's midnight, it's Thanksgiving, and Foster's laughing as he throws flour at Sam. 

Technically, they were in the kitchen to make pie crusts for tomorrow, but those were in the oven now and they were stuck waiting for them to be ready to come out.

Sam laughs, and tugs him by his collar so she can kiss him. 

Foster yelps when Sam smears a handful of flour into his hair and runs, chasing after her.

००००००००००००

Del takes pleasure in the simple things. 

Such as Will's face when he sees the sweater she's wearing. 

The internet is great invention, truly, and it's amazing what you can find on amazon. She'd gotten a bow for Liberty that Alfred had cooed over and a sweater with a turkey on it that was just the right amount of ugly. 

"That's the worst one yet."

Del grins cheerfully. "You should see the one I got for Christmas."

००००००००००००

Alfred has been kicked out of the kitchen for the fifty-ninth year in a row, and he resigns himself to it. 

He flops down on the couch between Josh and Cait to watch the game, and Josh smiles. "We're never gonna let you cook today." Cait makes a noise of agreement, still focused on the game. 

Alfred smiles back, looking over at Theo, who's sprawled over the loveseat, and Helena, who's half-asleep in a beanbag she'd dragged in from another room. Monty and Cam are talking softly on the other couch. "I know, but I can still try."

००००००००००००

They are a diverse country, so of course, they have differing ideas about exactly how and what food should be made.

And this means the kitchen is overcrowded and counter space isfought over.

Lani and Sasha are tucked into the corner with pop-cans of cinnamon and crescent rolls that Evangeline had sighed at for three minutes, and Nate is sure that he's going to have to check what they put in those crescent rolls at some point, to make sure there are no repeats of the sour gummy worm incidents, but he leaves them be for now. 

The Midwest has taken over both sides of the peninsula countertop, and it's been turned into a mess of peanut butter and flour between Cordelia and Riley. Oliver's making mac and cheese, which is good because Nate hasn't seen anyone else making any. He isn't quite sure what Cass is making, and given her history, he's not sure he wants to know.

Nate grins at Scarlett's sweet potato souffle, because she's the queen of comfort food, even if she usually sticks to peach cobbler during the holidays, and it's nice to see her make something fancy. 

Connie is finishing up a pumpkin cheesecake, and she smiles at Nate as he passes by. Tyler's pulling what's probably corn casserole out of the oven. Anna and Kit are eating a bag of marshmallows, and Nate steals it as he passes by to give it back to who ever's making sweet potato casserole. 

Jake's been practically shoved in the pantry, but him and the various potato dishes seem to be okay, so Nate just gives him a thumbs up and moves on. 

Caden and Kendall have combined their chicken and dumplings efforts, which is probably for the best. Between the two of them, it probably won't end up burnt. 

Nate stops dead in his tracks at the counter where Drew is stirring...  _spaghetti?_

He has no words. 

Drew doesn't look guilty in the slightest. "It's chicken spaghetti," he says, like that makes it any better. 

००००००००००००

There are fifty states and five territories and one district and four former territories and four nations to feed  _at the least_ , and Evangeline may not be good at math but she is good at cooking and she knows this: "There aren't enough pies."

Ginny crosses her arms. "Are you sure?"

"Elizabeth. Alfred can eat an entire pie by himself. Each region can probably do the same. There are three other nations coming besides Alfred, one of which ate our entire stock of peeps last easter.  _Sixteen boxes of peeps, Elizabeth_."

Ginny shoots her a horrified look. "You're  _right_."

००००००००००००

"It's just a turkey, Minnie."

Mindy stills her anxious pacing in front of the oven. David, who's been nervously tapping his foot, stops. 

They both look at Austin. 

Mindy gestures frantically. "No! It isn't! It's an iconic Thanksgiving tradition and if I burn it Evangeline will murder me and feed me to alligators!"

David nods, eyes flicking to the oven timer. 

There were two turkeys every year, and anxiety was basically in the job description when you were asked to make one.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure Evangeline won't feed you to alligators."

David and Mindy both give him a look that says  _have you met her?_

००००००००००००

Wes raises an eyebrow at his sister. Ginny had dragged Scott, Tim, and Daniel into the kitchen, too, and all three looked as confused as Wes was. "Uh, Liz?"

"We're making emergency pies." His sister answers, matter-of-factly. "Come on, don't just stand there!"

००००००००००००

Cordelia has been shooting Michael looks for fifteen minutes, silently trying to get him to intervene in whatever Cass is doing. 

She kicks him and finally, he has to stop pretending he doesn't understand her. "Hey, um, Cass? What's that?"

Cass grins, impossibly proud of whatever she's created. "Pumpkin Spice French Toast Casserole."

Michael exchanges a Look with Cordelia. 

"Uh, alright, you just keep doing... that."

००००००००००००

Ivan arrives two hours before he's supposed to, and he contemplates awkwardly waiting in the car, but it's too late because Libby is barking and the door is swinging open. 

Sera sighs in relief. "Oh thank god it's someone with reason, I thought it was going to be Gilbert and I would have to barricade the kitchen to keep him out of it."

Ivan blinks. Libby barks, a playful little yip, tail wagging. There is an absurd bow decorated with leaves in place of her collar. "I brought pirozhki?"

Sera nods. "That's great, you can stick it somewhere on the table if you want. Sasha's in the kitchen, but I wouldn't go in there. Evangeline's going through her third breakdown of the day."

००००००००००००

The game is playing in one of the other rooms, but Caleb doesn't particularly care about it right now, or the parade playing on the tv in front of them. 

Addy's head is on her shoulder, and she's mostly in his lap because these beanbags aren't meant to hold two people, but it's comfortable. 

"I'm glad we made the casserole yesterday and not today," Addison murmurs. 

Caleb doesn't even want to think about the chaos in the kitchen. "Me too."

००००००००००००

Aidan blinks as Charlie sits down beside him with a tub of whipped cream and two spoons. "Charlotte, Evangeline's gonna get mad if she sees that."

Charlie nods solemly. "That's why we're going to eat it. No evidence."

Aidan snorts, but takes the spoon anyway.

००००००००००००

James looks between Marisol, Jules, and Eli in concern before he turns to Emily. 

"Emily, tell them this is a bad idea, please."

Emily huffed. "It's cute that you think any of them would listen to me. Plus, this isn't so bad. It's just habanero peppers."

" _Just_  habaneros?"

"They ate ghost peppers on a dare once. That was a few years back, though."

James still winces when Marisol pops the pepper into her mouth. 

Jules grins at him before he does the same, while Eli just shrugs. 

None of them react at all. 

"I think the three of you have damaged your tastebuds permanently with chili peppers."

००००००००००००

The kitchen is too crowded and hot to stick around once they're done cooking, so Nicky and Adam sit on the porch swing outside. 

Adam watches curiously as Nicky gets up to pick one of the flowers growing near the porch, and he flushes when Nicky tucks it behind his ear. 

Nicky grins, the one he always has after he purposefully does something to fluster Adam. "You're terrible."

Nicky smiles bigger. "Yeah, but you love me."

००००००००००००

(Alfred looks around the table at his states, happy and laughing, and he smiles. He's thankful for them, for this moment, for the family they've made.)

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by this prompt list on tumblr by writersblockbecomesunblocked: https://writersblockbecomesunblocked.tumblr.com/post/179699709031/awkward-thanksgiving-day-prompts
> 
> Drew and the chicken spaghetti came from this article on the strangest thanksgiving dishes from each state: https://www.delish.com/food/g4665/thanksgiving-food-traditions-every-state/?slide=25
> 
> Cass and the Pumpkin Spice French Toast Casserole comes from this article: https://www.foodnetwork.com/thanksgiving/top-thanksgiving-recipes-in-every-state


End file.
